Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Sakie Yokota (front R), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters following a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. Standing next to her is her son Takuya, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) speaks during a meeting with members of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026.

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, meets the press following a meeting between members of the group and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. His elder sister Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13.

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Takuya Yokota (R), head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. Sitting next to him is his mother Sakie, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13.

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Sakie Yokota (C), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. Her son Takuya (R), head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, also attended the meeting.

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda meets the press following talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026.

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda meets the press following talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026.

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda are pictured before their talks at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026.

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

BOJ chief Ueda meets with PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda pose for a photo ahead of their talks at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

PM Takaichi meets press after historic election victory

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the headquarters of her Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2026, following the ruling party's historic landslide victory in a general election the previous day.

PM Takaichi congratulates Kimura on Olympic snowboarding win

PM Takaichi congratulates Kimura on Olympic snowboarding win

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi congratulates snowboarder Kira Kimura from Tokyo by phone on Feb. 8, 2026, after he won the men's big air gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics the previous day. (Pool photo)

PM Takaichi congratulates Kimura on Olympic snowboarding win

PM Takaichi congratulates Kimura on Olympic snowboarding win

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi congratulates snowboarder Kira Kimura from Tokyo by phone on Feb. 8, 2026, after he won the men's big air gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics the previous day. (Pool photo)

Japan PM Takaichi and U.S. President Trump

Japan PM Takaichi and U.S. President Trump

Combined photo shows Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) and U.S. President Donald Trump (L)(Pool photo).

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo shows Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Combined photo shows Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) holding talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 5, 2026.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei enters the prime minister's office in Tokyo for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Feb. 5, 2026.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei pose for a photo at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 5, 2026.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) holds talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 5, 2026.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) holds talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 5, 2026.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

(From L) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara pose for a photo at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 5, 2026.

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

PM Takaichi's meeting with TSMC CEO

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) holds talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 5, 2026.

Japan PM Takaichi meets Nepalese President Paudel

Japan PM Takaichi meets Nepalese President Paudel

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) holds talks with Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 3, 2026.

Japan PM Takaichi meets Nepalese President Paudel

Japan PM Takaichi meets Nepalese President Paudel

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) and Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel walk ahead of their meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 3, 2026.

British PM Starmer in Beijing

British PM Starmer in Beijing

British and Chinese flags are hoisted around Tiananmen Square in Beijing during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China on Jan. 29, 2026.

British PM Starmer meets with China's Xi

British PM Starmer meets with China's Xi

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd from R) holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2026. (Pool photo)

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2026. (Pool photo)

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd from L) holds talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2026. (Pool photo)

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2026. (Pool photo)

Interview with ex-PM Suga

Interview with ex-PM Suga

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Jan. 26, 2026. He recently retired from politics.

Interview with ex-PM Suga

Interview with ex-PM Suga

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Jan. 26, 2026. He recently retired from politics.

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd from L) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd from R) hold talks in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2026. (Pool photo)

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

China's Xi meets with British PM Starmer

Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd from L) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd from R) hold talks in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2026. (Pool photo)

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

A protester holds up a placard reading "This dissolution is meaningless" at the venue of a stump speech by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026. Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives on Jan. 23 for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

A protester holds up a placard reading "We must not lose to a prime minister like this" at the venue of a stump speech by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026. Official campaigning began across Japan the same day for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

[Breaking News]Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 23 Kyodo - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after dissolving the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8. (Kyodo)

Japan PM Takaichi

Japan PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 26, 2026.

Japan PM Takaichi

Japan PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 26, 2026.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) and other lawmakers from her Liberal Democratic Party raise their fists in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after she dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) and other lawmakers from her Liberal Democratic Party raise their fists in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after she dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after dissolving the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after dissolving the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after dissolving the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after dissolving the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after dissolving the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.